Glacier Natl Park - Boulder Pass Trail

[Jimmy]

The first day would actually be Packers Roost > Fifty Mountain going up the Flattop route. It's 12 miles, with some rough sections, but Joey's trip report makes the Flattop route seem doable in a day. @Joey care to chime in? It looks like you did the first 5.7 miles of the Flattop in 4-5 hours while battling an epic hangover, so another 6.3 seems doable in sound mind and body!

Please note that I'm NOT taking my kids - They are way too young for much more than an overnight! This is one of two guys backpacking trips I try to squeeze in every year. My wife will be home flying solo with our three little ones, hence my limited time.

Agree that Flattop looks somewhat unappealing compared to the Highline, but Joey's TR makes it sound "somewhat okay." Would it be insane to attempt 16 miles up the Highline in one day, assuming we get an early start? I was considering starting at the Loop Trail TH, going past Granite Park, and then hiking the Highline up to Fifty Mountain. Flattop was definitely a compromise due to time constraints.

 

[Langdon Greene]

The 12 miles of Flattop can definitely be done in a day - I am aware of many who have done so.

Would it be insane to attempt 16 miles up the Highline in one day, assuming we get an early start? I was considering starting at the Loop Trail TH, going past Granite Park, and then hiking the Highline up to Fifty Mountain. Flattop was definitely a compromise due to time constraints.

Wellllll..... There are probably folks who can / have, and if you're strong & fit, maybe you could (starting at the buttcrack of dawn). The 12 miles of upper-Highline between GRN and FIF is more strenuous than you might think (especially if you have to scramble below/around Ahern drift). There is a lot of cumulative elevation change -- 3000' or more -- despite the 2 trailheads being at roughly the same altitude. (My wife was exhausted from that day, and refused to go up to Sue Lake overlook with me.) And that's not even counting the 4 mile climb up from the loop. With that, it might be a 5000'+ climb day to do the 16 miles together..... So there you go. I think I could do it (alone / without my wife) but it would be a long-ass day. I understand though - GRN is a tough campsite to get, and could nix the rest of your route if it's on your itinerary application. So yeah, maybe better to assume you'll go Flattop (and improvise the 16-mile Highline if you're feeling it) than not get the Boulder Pass trip at all.

 

[Jimmy]

Langdon--I appreciate the info.
I think the moral of the story here is that I need to return to Glacier to do an additional trip.

 

[Langdon Greene]

I think the moral of the story here is that I need to return to Glacier to do an additional trip.

DEFINITELY. Glacier is my wife's favorite place ever, and is certainly in my top few. In my mind, there are 5 primo trail sections there at Glacier that stack up with the best backpacking anywhere in the USA. Those would be (and not in any preferential order):

Boulder Pass (Kintla to at least Francis)
Highline (Logan Pass to FiftyMile, and I loved the forested descent into Waterton valley too!)
Mokowanis Valley (Cosley to Stoney Indian)
Gunsight Pass / EllenWilson / Sperry
Dawson - Pitamakan passes / loop

And I'd add the 18-mile Piegan Pass + Siyeh Pass (from ManyGlacier to PrestonPark over Siyeh Pass to Sunrift Gorge) to that list if it were backpackable as an overnighter. It's a crying shame there is no backcountry spot in Preston Park, or the north side of Piegan Pass, to make that possible. 18 miles is a long-ass dayhike, over 2 high passes. Not to mention Elizabeth / Helen valley, via either Ptarmigan tunnel or RedGap pass (or both).

BTW, that potential first-day 16+mile segment from the Loop TH up 4 steep miles to GRN and Highine to FiftyMtn? That's a cumulative ascent of more than 6000' and 3700' cumulative descent. And that's not even including Sue Lake Overlook, or the extra half-mile or more spur to Ahern Pass. If you're a long-trail thru-hiker or backpacking machine, you can do it. But wow. That's a hike.

 

[Jimmy]

I'm thinking of adding some alternate trip itineraries in case my 1st choice isn't picked, though I left a 2.5 week window for this trip and am allowing the reverse loop.

Here's a Loop that I'm considering using some of your recommendations:

Loop TH to Many Glacier via Granite Park/Continental Divide Trail = 13 Miles
Many Glacier via Ptarmigan Tunnel to Lake Cosley = 13.7 Miles
Lake Cosley to Stoney Indian Pass = 10.8 Miles
Stoney Indian to Fifty Mountain = 8.2 Miles (Lots of time to explore)
Fifty Mountain back to Loop = 16 Miles, but net descent. I've done 20+ mile descent days, so think going the opposite direction, this can be done.

 

[Jimmy]

Woo hoo!!! Got the following itinerary!

Packers roost TH > Fifty Mountain (via Flatop)
Fifty Mountain > Lake Janet
Lake Janet > Hole in the Wall
Hole in the Wall > Upper Kintla
Upper Kintla > Kintla Lake TH

So, who wants to make some good money on August 12th hauling us from Kintla to Apgar?????

 

[Joey]

Woo hoo!!! Got the following itinerary!

Packers roost TH > Fifty Mountain (via Flatop)
Fifty Mountain > Lake Janet
Lake Janet > Hole in the Wall
Hole in the Wall > Upper Kintla
Upper Kintla > Kintla Lake TH

So, who wants to make some good money on August 12th hauling us from Kintla to Apgar?????

Nice route. Hike up to the Sue Lake overlook from Fifty Mountain if you have the time or energy.

You won't have any problems hiking in from Packer's Roost to Fifty. You do have somewhere around 2500 feet of elevation gain, most of it in one spot, after McDonald Creek. It is through fire burn, so it tends to be a hot hike.

I'm not going to be around the park until September this year, otherwise i'd try to help you out with a ride. Definitely try some of the options I recommended earlier. Usually you run into people on the trail with a car up there that can help you out. Your last 3 nights you stand a good chance to be camped with someone who is exiting at Kintla and has a car up there.

Have a great trip!

 

[the old guy club]

Thanks for all the advice on logistics. Though we were shut out on an advance reservation for Boulder Pass, we are hoping we have a shot as a walk-in next Sunday (Aug 21). A couple of people here suggested that we could find a shuttle thru this page...does anybody know how we could get a ride for two guys from Bowman (leaving our car at Bowman) up to Kintla? We won't know for sure until the 21st of course, and would plan on hitting the trail following day (Monday, Aug 22).

 

[Joey]

A couple of people here suggested that we could find a shuttle thru this page...does anybody know how we could get a ride for two guys from Bowman (leaving our car at Bowman) up to Kintla?

Its pretty hard to do. Hitchhiking is a great option. If you start walking the road from Bowman Lake, cars will have to slow down to avoid hitting you because the road is so narrow. There has been a ton of traffic up there this year, more than i've ever seen. Someone will pick you up if you put your thumb out and know how to ask people for a ride. That being said, I've walked from Bowman Lake all the way to Polebridge before, because it was real late in the day, and the 6 cars that passed me didn't offer me a ride.

Your bigger concern is getting up to Kintla Lake. Far less traffic. Also, its a long drive. Can easily take an hour or more to drive from Bowman Lake to Kintla Lake. And that's just one way.

Bowman Lake is beautiful. But you'll get just as much out of your hike to do an out and back from Kintla Lake. From Brown pass down all the way down to the trail head at Bowman Lake is almost 100% vegetated and offers few views. Not that the Kintla entry/exit is any better. But the climb up to Boulder Pass that way is much more scenic.

 

[Joey]

The first day would actually be Packers Roost > Fifty Mountain going up the Flattop route. It's 12 miles, with some rough sections, but Joey's trip report makes the Flattop route seem doable in a day

I know this doesn't apply to your trip, but feel like stating this for anyone searching info on this.

I went over Flattop again this year, from Packer's Roost all the way to Fifty Mountain camp, in a day. I'll never go up it again. I't one thing to come down that way from Fifty, because it's mostly down hill, and your not facing the sun. But going up it just sucks. I've been dumb enough to go up it twice now. Because of the burn, you are completely exposed to the sun. It just bakes you. Not to mention its 3500 feet of elevation gain. Also, it gets kind of dry up past the campsite of Flattop. This July, there was zero water between the campsite and right before Fifty Mountain camp.

I've only done it because sometimes that's what it takes to access the deeper trails there, with the permit system being so difficult. But in the summer months, its probably possible to get heat exhaustion.

Just my two cents.

 

[the old guy club]

Joey, thanks for the guidance. We are also trying to hire a ride for the Bowman to Kintla stretch. If you know anybody up there that is interested in making some cash, please let me know.

 

[isleroyaleguy]

Good call @Joey,
I have purposely avoid that stretch, for all the reasons you stated.
Cheers
IRG

 

[Joey]

Joey, thanks for the guidance. We are also trying to hire a ride for the Bowman to Kintla stretch. If you know anybody up there that is interested in making some cash, please let me know.

I think they might let you put a message up in the front porch of the apgar backcountry office. They might not anymore. You can try going to Freda's bar in West Glacier and putting up a note there. Maybe even ask the bartenders there. All the employees in the area frequent there. You could entice one of them with money for sure. You could also try to get someone working with Glacier Guides to do it on there off day.

Really, you can just walk into any of the places there in West Glacier, and just tell the first employee you see that your looking for a ride and willing to pay money. Try the Highland too, up next to the Belton across from the railroad.

You can also write up a big sign that says you need help with a shuttle, and are willing to pay. Then just sit in front of the merc in Polebridge. Really good chance that would work, and some people probably won't even want money. But if they can see the sign and read it, you have a better chance.

I'll send out a few messages, but not sure if i'll here back in time from anyone before I leave on my next trip.

Good luck. If i was still up there I'd help you out myself.

 

[Jimmy]

I know this doesn't apply to your trip, but feel like stating this for anyone searching info on this.

I went over Flattop again this year, from Packer's Roost all the way to Fifty Mountain camp, in a day. I'll never go up it again. I't one thing to come down that way from Fifty, because it's mostly down hill, and your not facing the sun. But going up it just sucks. I've been dumb enough to go up it twice now. Because of the burn, you are completely exposed to the sun. It just bakes you. Not to mention its 3500 feet of elevation gain. Also, it gets kind of dry up past the campsite of Flattop. This July, there was zero water between the campsite and right before Fifty Mountain camp.

I've only done it because sometimes that's what it takes to access the deeper trails there, with the permit system being so difficult. But in the summer months, its probably possible to get heat exhaustion.

Just my two cents.

Just got back yesterday...trip report from an amazing 5-day trek in Glacier is forthcoming. We started at the Loop, bypassing the Packers Roost entrance, to add a bit of scenery to the beginning of our trip. I concur that the slog up Flattop was our least favorite part of the trip, and we damn near ran out of water since we assumed that we could just fill up near Flattop campground...which was bone dry. It was f*@%ing HOT, and the constant sweat meant that our sunscreen was completely ineffective. We tried to add a night on the beginning of our trip to stay at Granite Park and do the Highline to 50 Mountain, but walk-in permits were impossible to obtain for popular sites. That said, we were able to switch Lake Janet for Lake Frances. Excited to share the TR soon!

 

[Jimmy]

Joey, thanks for the guidance. We are also trying to hire a ride for the Bowman to Kintla stretch. If you know anybody up there that is interested in making some cash, please let me know.

We met a couple of parties that hitched from Bowman to Kintla and vice-versa, and there were A LOT of people in that area catching rides. Worst case scenario, you would have to trek from Bowman to Polebridge to catch a ride to Kintla. That's a 6-mile trek.

 

[the old guy club]

Joey, thanks for the advice - we did an out and back from the Kintla TH, and were lucky enough to get 2 nights at Boulder Pass. Spent the middle day over around Hole in the Wall (pretty spectacular) and ran into these two after we got back. Quite the treat.

 

[Joey]

For the record, I just rode my bike from the Logging Lake trailhead all the way up to Bowman Lake. Took me 2 hours (after a 13 mile day and very exhausting week). I didn't even have a single car pass me going the way I was going, or I would have ditched my bike and made them give me a ride.

But this was the first time I dropped a bike to help with a loop in the North Fork, and think its a good idea (although slightly time consuming) for the Kintla/Bowman route.